Tal R (Danish, B. 1967)

'Painting should be like the ice cream melting.' Tal R's direct and spontaneous painting style and the cool and colourful appearance of his works match his statement. They are like melting pots of a hundred different ideas, and seem reminiscent of art historical influences as varied as Sigmar Polke, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Graffiti art, Pop art and Surrealism. Tal R himself says that he paints beyond his own imagination: 'I always push it to the point where my sense of aesthetic expands'. One of the most dynamic painters to have come out of the Royal Danish Art Academy in recent years, his works stand out for their sheer vibrancy. Mostly abstract, representational elements appear in his paintings almost by chance, as if a train of thought had temporarily been disrupted. Taking its name from a city in the heart of the Ivory Coast's cocoa belt, Daloa is an exotic vision of palm trees, women and a rainbow. Its 'postcard perfect' composition makes it self-consciously kitschy, something which the artist is keen to promote: he has often said that he wants to mix dirt and minimalism - in other words, to overturn the cleanliness and sterile appearance of much recent art. The association to a melting icecream is not far off, and here, in Daloa, we even have the sprinkles on top.